Oscillating motor for highway crossing signals



Nov. 3, 1953 A. F. MEULER OSCILLATING MOTOR FOR HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGNALS Filed March '7. '1951 4 L I I AME 5 'LS 7 INVENTOR v ALFRED F. MEULER AT TORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, 1953 OSCILLATING MOTOR FOR HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGNALS Alfred F. Meuler, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application March 7, 1951, Serial No. 214,236

1 Claim. 1

This invention appertains to railroad highway crossing signals of the type embodying a swinging banner or signal plate actuated by electromagnets upon the closing of circuits thereto through the entrance of a train into a signal block.

Such signals embody a pair of electromagnets mounted on the upper end of the movable rod carrying the banner and a stationary electromagnet on the frame of the signal above the rod. By means of a circuit selector, energy is applied alternately to the magnet coils, so as to cause the stationary and one or" the moving coils to attract each other, bringing about the swinging of the rod and banner. Much difficulty has been experienced with the circuit selector now in common use, and all circuit selectors with which I am familiar embody a cam movable with the banner for actuating a switch lever carrying leaf spring contacts. With this type of selector, delicate adjustments are necessary and arcing between contacts makes frequent inspection necessary as well as frequent replacement of parts.

One of the primary objects of my invention, is the provision of a novel circuit selector, which will effectively accomplish the purpose intended, and which will entirely eliminate the use of an operating cam, switch lever, resilient contacts,

etc., so that the number of moving parts is reduced to a minimum, whereby frequent inspection of the signal and the replacement of worn parts is unnecessary.

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of a single switch panel mounted on the rock shaft of the banner arm for movement therewith, carrying novelly arranged mercury switches for controlling the circuits to the mag nets.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a highway crossing signal of the above character, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a detail fragmentary vertical sectional view through a highway crossing signal embodying my novel circuit selector, the section being taken on the line I-I of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view taken at right angles to Figure 1, and on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter S generally indicates a railroad highway crossing signal, and the same includes a casing having a bottom supporting plate 5. Only a fragment of the casing is shown, and it is to be understood that the same is rigidly carried by a supporting post and arm at a highway crossing. Rigidly secured to the plate 5, are a pair of spaced bearing brackets 6, and these brackets support for rocking movement the signal rock shaft 7. Rigidly secured to the rock shaft 1, by means of a Y-shaped yoke 8, is the banner rod 9. The banner rod 9 extends through a suitable slot in the wall 5, so that the rod can move back and forth with the cross shaft. The rod 9, carries the desired type of signal banner Ill. The yoke '8 includes diverging legs on which are mounted the electromagnets II and I2. The magnets H and I2 are arranged at an acute angle relative to one another and lie, normally, on opposite sides of the vertical. As these magnets II and i2 'move with the banner rod 9, the same will be referred to hereafter as the moving magnets. Forming a part of the frame of the signal, are uprights I 3 connected at their upper ends by a cross bar I l. The cross bar has rigidly secured thereto a depending stationary electromagnet l5.

The magnet I5 is located directly above the rock shaft 1 and the banner rod 9, and under normal conditions, the magnet 45 is between the magnets H and [2. In accordance with my invention, I

,secure to the rock shaft 1 for movement therewith a panel 16 which constitutes a part of my circuit selector for the magnets. This panel it,

.can be formed from dielectric material and resilient clips H are secured to the panel for detachably receiving mercury switches l8, l9, 2%! and 2 I. Each mercury switch, is of the type embodying a sealed tube or bulb 22, containing a quantity of mercury 23, and spaced contacts 24. The contacts 24 are located adjacent to one end of the closed tube or bulb, so that when the bulb .is in one position relative to the horizontal, the

mercury will flow toward and over the contacts to bridge the same, and when the tube or bulb is at an opposite angle to the horizontal, the mercury will flow to the other end of the tube or bulb, away from the contacts. It is to be noted that in my arrangement, all of the closed tubes or bulbs are tilted in one and the same direction, when the panel I6 is in a vertical position. The

mercury switches are used in pairs and hence the switches l8 and 19 have their contacts 24 located at the left hand side of the bulbs, (see Figure 1), and the switches 2i and 20, have their contacts located at the right hand side of the bulbs. In the position shown in Figure 1, the contacts 24, for the switches 18 and I9 are bridged by the mercury, while the contacts for the switches and 2| are above the mercury.

Now referring to the wiring for the signal, which has been shown diagrammatically in Figure 1, the same includes conductor wires 25 and 26 leading from a suitable source of electrical energy (direct current). Interposed in the wire 26 is the circuit closer 21, and this circuit closer is operated when a train moves into a signal block and it is again to be noted that this is merely a diagrammatic showing. The wire 26 is connected directly to one contact of the mercury switch 18, and the other contact of this switch has electrically connected therewith a wire 29 which is electrically connected with one terminal of the magnetic coil of the electromagnet l. The other terminal of this coil has electrically connected therewith, a branch wire 29, which is electrically connected with the main wire 25. Electrically connected with the main wire '26 is a branch wire 39, and this wire is electrically connected with one contact of the mercury switch l9 and the other contact of this switch has electrically connected therewith a conductor wire 3|, which is connected with one terminal of the magnetic coil of the stationary magnet IS. The other terminal of this coil is connected directly to the wire 25.

Leading from the main wire 26 is a branch wire 32 and this wire is electrically connected with one contact of the mercury switch 20 and the other contact of this switch has electrically connected therewith a wire 33, which is electrically connected with one terminal of the magnetic coil of the electromagnet 12. The other terminal of the coil is connected by a branch wire 34 with the wire 25. Electrically connected to the Wire 32 is a wire 35 and this wire is electrically connected with one contact of the switch 2! and the other contact of this switch has connected therewith a wire 3%, which leads to and is connected with the wire 3!, which in turn is connected with one terminal of the coil of the clectromagnet 15.

New, considering that a train enters the signal block and the circuit closer 21 is moved to its closed position. Current flowing through wire 26 will enter switch l8 through the bridge contacts, through wire 28, coil of electromagnet i l to wire 29 and to wire 25. Simultaneously with this, current will flow through wire 30, through switch i9, through wire 3i through the coil of the electromagnet 15, back to wire 25. Consequently, electromagnets H and IE will be energized and will attract one another, and the magnet II will be moved to the right, see Figure 1, bringing about the rocking of the shaft 1, and the swinging of the banner to the left. As soon as the magnet H is in vertical alignment with the magnet l5, the mercury switches will all be tilted in the opposite direction from that shown in Figure 1, and consequently, the contacts of switches 20 and 2| will be bridged and the mercury will move away from the contacts of switches l8 and i9 and the banner ill will start to swing to a lower, vertical position by gravity. Also at this time, magnets l2 and I5 will be energized, as follows: Current will flow through wire 26 and wire 32 through mercury switch 29, through electromagnet 12, through wire 34, back to wire 25. Current will also flow through wires 32 and 35, through the switch 2|, wires 36 and Si through the electromagnet I5, back to wire 25. The energizing of the magnets l2 and IE will cause movement of the magnet l2 into vertical alignment with the magnet 15, bringing about the swinging of the banner to the right. The mercury in the switches will immediately fiow to the opposite ends of their closed tubes or bulbs, bringing about the breaking of the circuits through the magnets l2 and I5, and again bringing about the energizing of the magnets II and 15. Consequently, swinging of the banner will continue as long as the circuit closer 21 is in its closed position.

For the sake of simplicity, circuits have only been shown for the operating magnets, and it is to be understood that the highway signal is to be equipped with the ordinary adjuncts, such as audible signals, visual signal lights, etc.

From the foregoing description. it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple and durable form of circuit selector for highway crossing and like signals.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this inven tion, but what I claim as new is:

In a highway crossing signal for railroads, a frame, a rock shaft supported by the frame, a stationary magnet on the frame arranged above the rock shaft, a pair of movable magnets carried by the rock shaft arranged in diverging relation and normally disposed on opposite sides of the stationary magnet, and a circuit selector for the magnets including a panel rigidly secured to the rock shaft for movement therewith, a pair of mercury switches secured to the panel electrically connected respectively to the stationary magnet and to one movable magnet, a second pair of mercury switches electrically connected respectively to the stationary magnet and to the other of the movable magnets, the contacts for the first pair of mercury switches being disposed at one end thereof and the contacts for the. second pair of switches being located at the opposite end thereof, said mercury switches being all tilted in the same direction on the panel with the contacts of one pair of switches bridged when the panel is in a vertical position.

ALFRED F. MEULER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,045,463 Unverricht Nov. 26, 1912 1,182,152 Driscoll May 9, 1916 1,330,064 Dunham Feb. 10, 1920 1,347,209 Crenshaw July 20, 1920 1,477,889 Morse 1 Dec. 16, 1923 1,647,858 Dunham 1- Nov. 1, 1927 1,667,747 Somes M May 1, 1928 

